Justice League: Conspiracy
by CherylSongbow
Summary: Tales of the Prime Universe, Book 4. Earth-Prime's greatest heroes come together for the first time! Amazon's disappearance leads new allies to a frightening discovery, while a being from a dead universe seeks vengeance, regardless of who gets in the way.
1. Chapter 1

"Get those kids out of there!"

Black Arrow's voice was hoarse from shouting, but with communication down it was the only way to make herself heard. Flare did not respond verbally, but left the wall of flame she was maintaining to swoop down and grasp the children, a boy and a girl, with one hand each. They screamed, terrified, as the heroine flew overhead to deposit them behind the police barricade. Black Arrow sprang to take her place, releasing a smoke arrow at the approaching line of soldiers.

Something clicked in her ear, and suddenly Oracle's voice was active again. "_We are back online! Green Lantern is on the way._"

"Great," Arrow grated. "Now where the hell is Amazon?"

Flare returned to generating her wall of flame. Fire wreathed her body, keeping her aloft as she focused on maintaining the barrier. She spared a moment to look at Black Arrow, pointing at her ear. Arrow nodded to confirm that Oracle was back. Flare did not have a comlink; they were still working on a design that did not melt every time she activated her powers.

"_Still no response,_" Oracle told her. "_Okay, I've got the schematics up, and it looks like these are non-organics._"

"You mean we're fighting robots?" That was possibly the best news Arrow had gotten all day. She clambered atop a smashed car.

"_Very advanced robots. Could be made by this Toymaker we've been hearing about._"

At the moment, Arrow couldn't care less about who was responsible. "Flare!" she shouted. "They're not alive!"

She selected her explosive arrow as she spoke, and released it at the line of robotic soldiers. Flare followed her example and took on the appearance of a human flamethrower, incinerating several robots immediately.

As if on cue, an army of glowing green samurai warriors took shape and charged at the robots. Green Lantern arrived with her badge flashing. "Sorry I'm late; there was a damaged freighter out by Vega IV."

Lantern's duties in space often kept her off-planet and made it so they couldn't always rely on her to be present, Black Arrow absently mused as she released two more arrows at the robots. Which was why it was so important that Amazon was available when an emergency like this arose. Where the hell was she?

Fortunately, Lantern had more than enough raw power to make up for Amazon's absence, and the three heroines quickly dismantled the remaining robots. Emergency crews rushed in to aid the victims of the attack and douse the fires. Flare helped with the latter, drawing the flames to her and absorbing them. Green Lantern, her mask now gone-she now only used it in battle-created a dozen stretchers to carry the injured as she joined the emergency workers. Black Arrow located a relatively undamaged robot and bent down to locate its CPU. Oracle would likely be able to use it to figure out who planned the attack.

Green Lantern's ring suddenly sounded an alarm audible throughout the street, and she shouted, "Get back; this one's set to go off!"

There was a split second of motion. Flare grabbed two firemen and started to take to the sky with them. Green Lantern created a wall around the paramedics and the victims, and Black Arrow pulled out her EMP arrow, noting that she hadn't previously thought it would be useful. Then a red blur sped past her, sweeping debris up in the wind of its passing, and the robot that Lantern had identified was gone. Before Arrow could figure out what had happened, the blur returned and stopped.

The blur was a man in a red suit with golden lightning bolts. Black Arrow, who wasn't the most knowledgable about comic books, recognized the outfit at once. He grinned cheekily and waved at them. "Hello. I'm the Flash."


	2. Chapter 2

"Dr. James Wong, but you can call me Jim." The speedster offered his hand in greeting. Brittany Nguyen, still in the costume of Black Arrow, hesitantly accepted it.

"Nice to meet you...Jim." Brittany shot a look at Amber Nelson, who was grinning from her seat by the computers. "You didn't tell us?" The group was assembled back at the apartment that Brittany and Amber shared, with Ares, Diana's cat, weaving through them and demanding attention.

"Jim's been helping me search for Diana," Amber said. "I called him in yesterday-"

"Hold on," Janet McCullen interrupted. She still wore her Green Lantern costume, faintly glowing with green energy. "Just how long has she been missing?"

Amber sighed and began to explain. "Amazon was last seen helping a policeman chase an armed robber, three days ago. I got a message from Diana about ten minutes later, saying that she was tracking an odd disturbance. No explanation, no nothing. She's been out of contact ever since."

"No contact whatsoever? She's been trying to get more independant, but that isn't like her. Especially with Ares," Alyssa Marz said, sparing the ginger tom a glance. She also still wore her costume, which was really little more than fireproof clothing baring her midriff.

"Where was she last seen?" Janet seemed to be in investigation mode.

"I think a better question is why didn't you tell us," Brittany broke out. She glared at Amber. "She's missing for three days, and you didn't tell us that she hadn't even made contact?"

Amber held up her hands. "Whoa, slow down! I wasn't even sure, myself. Like Janet said, she has been trying to get more independant-"

"That _still_ doesn't mean that-"

"Ladies, please!" Jim was between them faster than any of them could blink, arms out to keep them apart, even though neither woman had made a move. "We don't do her any good by arguing. We need to take a look at what evidence we have and figure out what happened."

Janet nodded. "He's right. Now, I repeat, where was she last seen?"

Brittany folded her arms, still scowling, but Amber turned to pull up a satellite image of the city. One route was highlighted in red, leading down one road and then weaving between buildings. Amber pointed to it. "This is where that guy led them on the chase. She was last seen here-" She indicated the end of the red line. "-where they brought him down. The officer turned around, and she was gone. He assumed that she had run off elsewhere."

"I already checked the place out," Jim said. "It looks clean-too clean."

"I could try doing a sweep," Janet pointed out. She was leaning over Amber's shoulder, peering at the map. "The ring might pick up something you missed."

"Be my guest. I could lead you to the spot, if you like."

"I'd appreciate that."

"I'll have a look about the city before I head back home, but I can't promise any more," Alyssa said, getting to her feet and ignoring a glare from Ares. "I told you before, this is a part-time thing. Call me if you really need me to do something, but keep in mind that I have a niece that needs watching."

Amber waved her off. "Go on ahead, Alyssa. We'll take care of this...and thank you." The slim blonde nodded, and then leaped out of the window and soared skyward, flames wreathing her body.

"Okay." Brittany's arms were still folded, but she looked a little less put out. "I'll follow up my contacts and find out if anyone knows anything. You two can do your little sweep thing, and then someone needs to head up to the hospital and to the police station. Amber, there might be rumors online about-"

"I know, Brittany," Amber cut her off. "I've been looking, and I'm still looking. Lay off already."

"Okay!" Jim seemed overly eager to get everyone going, as well he might. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. "We all know what we need to do, right? Let's get going."

* * *

A scan from Green Lantern's ring turned up nothing. Following that, visited St. Jude's Children's Hospital, where she asked everyone what they knew about Amazon. Green Lantern went to the police station, and Black Arrow stalked the rooftops and alleyways, gleaning whatever information she could from her various contacts. Unknown to most of the city, Oracle rode the information highways, searching for any clue.

Results came from a surprising source. One of the children at the hospital, a boy named Timmy, claimed that he had seen a shadow following Amazon. Though he couldn't give any more information than that, when the other heroes began asking questions it soon became clear that many people had seen a shadowy figure around places that Amazon frequented. Ronald Scott, a local police sergeant, suggested ninjas.

"Two years ago, I'd have thought the very idea ridiculous," he told Janet, when she arrived at the station. "But these days, you see all sorts of things. And to be honest, that's what it looked like. Dropped out of sight so fast you'd think it hadn't been there at all. I'd nearly forgotten about it. And you think it may be connected to Di-Amazon's disappearance? Look, she's important to all of us. Saved a lot of lives. If any of us see anything, we'll let you know."

"Thank you, officer. We're doing our best to find her," Janet promised.

"That's all we can ask." Scott glanced around at the uniformed men and women around him, all with different levels of anxiety in their expressions. "She's done a lot of good for the city. For the nation, even. If you need our help, let us know. There isn't a man or woman here who would stand by when Amazon was in need." A round of nods and murmured agreement accompanied his statement.

Following this, Black Arrow tracked the rumors to the east side of the city, in the warehouse district near the train yards. She was joined by Flash and Green Lantern, and briefly Flare, and the group searched the area methodically. At about four in the morning, however, they had to admit temporary defeat, and each went their own separate ways to try to get some sleep. Oracle stayed up another hour or so, still doing searches. Finally, with the sky growing lighter from the approaching dawn, she left her search perameters running and followed the others' example, praying that the next day would bring more results.


	3. Chapter 3

It was mid afternoon when Amber finished the grocery run that she had begun less than an hour before; she had slept in till three in the afternoon following her late night, only to discover upon awakening that they were out of milk. Brittany had still been in bed when she went out, and she had left her roommate a note before refreshing Ares' water and heading out. Back at the building now, she parked the car and grabbed the plastic bag. She hit her head on the car roof, eliciting a muttered curse, before she managed to get herself out of the vehicle. She hit the lock button and heard the click as her car locked itself securely. Turning, she hoisted the bag of groceries into a more comfortable position and made her way to the door of the apartment building, her mind whirling with questions and theories about Diana's disappearance. She was so distracted that she almost walked straight into the man at the bottom on the steps.

She stopped, inches away from a collision, as she ran a fast analysis. Suit, clean. Good quality; probably tailored. Grey fabric. Red and blue striped tie. Leather briefcase in impeccable condition. Manicured fingernails. She looked up. Perfectly groomed hair and a smile that was both clever and charming and sly all at the same time. Lawyer. In this part of town. She groaned inwardly.

"Ms. Amber Nelson, I presume?" His voice was as charming as his smile. And he was looking for her. Wonderful.

"Never heard of her," Amber quipped, and tried to move around him. He somehow stepped smoothly back into her way without seeming aggressive-how was he able to do that?-without losing his smile. Damn. She hadn't really expected that to work, but she really was not in the mood for dealing with a-oh, no, he wasn't here about the CIA thing, was he? No, that would probably involve actual suits, possibly with those creepy sunglasses.

"Ms. Nelson, I am here on behalf of an individual who would like to extend an offer to you and your associates. If we could perhaps speak indoors...?"

"I'm busy." She was a little afraid that this might be part of an effort to uncover the Birds of Prey. They must have gained some real enemies by now, and somehow using a lawyer seemed like a perfect idea for nasties. Now that was just paranoia. The fact was that she was worried about Diana and seeing potential enemies everywhere. She needed to get this guy to leave her alone so she could go find her friend.

His smile seemed to grow a little more sly. "I'm sure you are, but I believe that you would be interested in hearing this offer, Ms. Nelson-or shall I call you Oracle?"

_Crap_. He knew. It was impossible; she had covered her tracks...no, it was entirely possible, and he knew. Somehow, he knew. For a moment, Amber seriously considered hitting him over the head with the bag of groceries and making a run for it.

He was still smiling in that aggravatingly lawyer-like way. "Ms. Nelson, I assure you that you have nothing to fear. I am simply here to extend my client's offer to you, and I am sure that you would find it...intriguing."

That headache was coming back. Amber resisting closing her eyes in frustration. She wasn't going to be able to shake this guy, was she? Getting rid of him might be a bad idea anyway; best to figure out everything that she could about him so she could find out how he knew. "Fine." She practically growled the word as she started toward the door again. "Inside."

She was a little surprised when he took the bag of groceries from her hand-a bit of a relief, actually, since it was getting heavy-and followed her up the stairs to the apartment...still wearing that insufferable smile.

Brittany looked up from the can of tuna she was setting out for Ares when they walked in. Ares, sniffing at the air behind her, suddenly flattened his ears against his head and disappeared into Diana's room in a flash. Brittany frowned slightly. "Bringing guests without warning? Not like you."

"Ah, Ms. Brittany Nguyen. Excellent." Amber noted Brittany's suddenly tense stance and half-hoped that her friend would knock that smile off the guy's face. He set the bag of groceries down next to the door, which had just clicked shut, and offered Amber his hand. "Marcus Vies, private attorney. I would give you the name of who I represent, but...my client would rather remain anonymous for now."

"Your 'client'?" Brittany leaned against the counter almost casually, arms folded, but Amber could see the tight muscles. She ignored the hand that Vies offered to her in turn, all but glaring at him. She glanced at Amber; her eyes seemed to demand why this guy was here when she needed to get ready to go back out on the street.

"All right, Mr. Vies." Amber remained standing, and did not offer him a chair. She was far too disturbed by the idea that he _knew_. "What's this offer?"

He nodded, that smile not leaving his face. "As I indicated previously, my client knows of your...extracurricular activities; both of yours, and of your friends. And my client is quite impressed. So much so, in fact, that I have been authorized to extend to you an offer unlike any other you are likely to encounter." Amber noticed Brittany's features darken at the mention of their 'extracurricular activities' and she herself had to fight to maintain relative equanimity. Vies, apparently unaware of the reactions so far-though Amber would not count on his actually being oblivious-continued.

"The offer is as follows. A monthly monetary compensation for your work, akin to a salary, for each individual associated with you, currently and in the future. Private access to discreet medical facilities in case of injury, all costs covered. A headquarters designed to your own specifications, with top security systems. Access to whatever equipment you require, and any modifications or redesigns of your costumes as desired. Methods of transport, according to your needs and preferences. All my client asks in return is that you continue your work. No check-ins are necessary, and no personal favors for my client are required."

It took Amber longer than it probably should have to realize that Vies had stopped talking, because her brain was struggling to process the offer. She must have heard wrong. She ran his entire speech back through her mind again, but it all came up the same. It was impossible. It had to be. People didn't just offer other people loads of money to do stuff they were already doing, and without even asking for anything in return! It couldn't be possible. She realized that her mouth was hanging open, and she hurriedly shut it.

Brittany, at least, seemed more able to vocalize herself. "Come again?"

Vies' smiles broadened slightly, and he set his briefcase on the counter to open it and remove a small sheaf of papers that he offered to the two of them. Amber took it, more through reflex than anything else, and Brittany bent over her shoulder to have a look. The papers listed precisely what Vies had, but in greater detail. Especially when it came to specific amounts of money being offered. Amber's eyes widened. People just did not give that much away!

"You. Are. Kidding. Me." Brittany sounded as flabbergasted as Amber felt. She suddenly stiffened, and Amber looked up to see her expression hard and suspicious. She was Batman mode. "How do we know all this is on the up-and-up? Your _client_ seems to know a good deal about us, but we don't know a thing about him, or her, or _it_."

Vies inclined his head toward her, as if accepting her statement. "I understand your concern, but my client is an honorable individual, and does not possess an ulterior motive. At least, none that you would object to."

Amber looked at Brittany, and their eyes locked. For a moment they exchanged a look, and then Amber offered the papers back to Vies. "We're...going to have to think about this."

"I understand. Take your time. And you can hold on to those copies."

Brittany was the one to show Vies out, while Amber just dropped into a kitchen chair and stared at the floor. Ares emerged from Diana's room and sat down across the kitchen to stare at her. She stared back, and they sat there looking at each other until Brittany returned.

"He left us his card," Brittany announced as she returned. She looked between the two of them for a moment, and then put her hands on her hips. "Don't tell me you're stunned out of action."

Amber shook herself. "Close, but not entirely." She glanced at the papers still in her hand and sighed, then got up. "Right. _Another_ thing to look into. It's a tempting offer, but I refuse to have anything to do with it if this client turns out to be our version of Lex Luthor."

Brittany snorted, then stretched. "Well, I'll let you get to that. I'll go put my gear on. I want an early start tonight. I feel like something might turn up. Take the card. I won't need it."

Amber grabbed the card and headed for her computer in the other room. "Let's hope it's good news."

* * *

Amber had absolutely no luck with her search for Vies' client. He worked for an organization that was owned by another organization that had connections overseas and seemed to come back to the States, but by the time she reached the fourth level of ownership she was no longer certain that she was on the right trail, and she had lost most of her leads anyway. The search for Diana was going just as well-or not, rather. Flare, Green Lantern, and Flash all checked in with nothing. Black Arrow found a drug deal.

After the sixth hour of straight-up nothing, Amber growled in frustration and threw her Bat-signal paperweight across the room. It landed in a pile of laundry next to the couch, where Ares paused in his grooming to glare at her. She glared right back. "_You_ try having any luck with this stuff!"

Amber's comm station suddenly came to life. "_Green Lantern to Oracle. Do you read me?_"

Oh, great. Janet was using the serious voice. Amber hadn't heard that since before she went public with her identity, when she was dealing with a rather annoying politician. Wincing a little, Amber turned back to the computer and activated the link. "Go ahead, Lantern."

"_You're not going to believe who I just ran into._"

Uh-oh. A dozen doomsday situations, each more frightening than the last, spun through Amber's head. "Tell me it's not the Joker." Or Lex Luthor, or Doomsday, or... _Stop_. Amber tried to get a hold of herself.

"_No, it isn't_." Janet's tone said it was worse. "_Superboy-Prime. And he wants to meet with us. All of us._"


	4. Chapter 4

For once, Black Arrow was not the first person to reach the prescribed meeting place, on a factory rooftop. The Flash was already there by the time she arrived, scanning the sky with a curious expression. She let herself drop with a thump behind him, and he turned to see her. He gave her a quick smile. "So...Superboy, huh?"

"So it seems." Her voice was grim. "The Earth-Prime version of him, who I'm told is trouble."

"I...wouldn't know." His face gained a somewhat concerned look under his mask. "What do you know about him?"

Black Arrow shrugged, and Oracle's voice sounded in their ears. "_He helped out during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and then returned in Infinite Crisis as a crazy nutcase who saw everything he did wrong as someone else's fault. He destroyed several universes, teamed up with the Sinestro Corps during their war with the Green Lanterns...and then got his butt kicked back to our Earth. I seem to recall that he had a tie-in with Blackest Night, and later ran into the Titans...though I really didn't read those. I've been busy._"

Flash's concerned look deepened. "I see...this could be a problem."

"_Which is why I want to get a look at him. Maybe he wants to help. Worst case scenario, we keep our enemies close, yeah?_"

"_I still don't like it_," Green Lantern's voice suddenly came over the comlink. "_We're almost to your position_."

"_Flare won't be there_," Oracle said. "_She just messaged me that she has to watch her niece tonight_."

"_Great,_" Green Lantern grated. "_We're short _two _people_."

Black Arrow's jaw tightened as something occurred to her. "He's got Superman's powers, right? Can't he hear our conversation?"

There was a pause, and then Green Lantern growled, "_Yeah._"

"She is not happy," Flash remarked.

A green light illuminated the rooftop. "No, I'm not," Green Lantern snapped as she dropped down beside Black Arrow. Another figure, instantly recognizably as both taller and broader than the Flash, alighted on the rooftop after her. Black Arrow instinctively stiffened.

He was older than she had anticipated, going by the Super_boy_ name. He was not wearing the costume, either. He was, in fact, wearing street clothes with a Superman shirt under his jacket. Despite his face being similar to the comics she had seen of Superman, he could have passed for an average person on the street-except for the fact that his eyes were an unearthly bright shade of blue. And he had been flying.

He glanced at the Flash, edging away subtly. His entire posture, Black Arrow noted, indicated that he was far from comfortable. Flash, of course, merely looked confused at Superboy's reaction to his presence. On the other hand, Green Lantern's mask, normally absent when she was not in battle, remained firmly in place, and her posture was rigid.

Superboy looked at each of them, and then gave a hesitant wave. "Um, hi."

"Hi." Flash's tone was inquisitive. He glanced at Black Arrow.

She shrugged slightly, and turned her attention back to Superboy. "You wanted to meet with us?"

"Yeah, I did! Do. Um." He glanced at Green Lantern, whose expression was somehow managing to convey pure ice even with her mask. "Well, Amazon disappeared. I thought I could help."

"Riiight."

Black Arrow refrained from elbowing her friend. "Let him talk, Lantern."

Green Lantern snorted, but Flash asked, "Do you know something that could help us?"

Superboy jumped slightly when Flash spoke, but quickly recovered himself. Obviously, he had issues with the Flash, or had possessed such issues in the past. Black Arrow filed that observation under 'might be useful'.

"Well, I do. Or I might. I saw some things and... You know, this is really awkward, being here and all. I really wasn't expecting to get involved with the hero thing again..."

"The 'hero thing'."

Black Arrow elbowed her. "Shut it, Lantern." She received a snort in response.

Superboy looked between the two of them edgily, and Flash sighed. "Ignore her for now. Just tell us what you saw."

Superboy nodded. "Right. Well, I like to keep an eye on things, you know? Just in case something crazy happens. And I saw that...stasis pod thing that Amazon had been in, or something like it. It was on a ship."

"And how do you know about the stasis pod?" Green Lantern's voice was dripping with suspicion.

"_It's on the internet, Paranoid_," Oracle spoke up. "_What ship?_"

"Not an American one." Superboy could obviously hear Oracle without a problem. "I couldn't find a registry, but it was a tanker. It was black and red, and it left the port in New Jersey yesterday afternoon. Its name was Intah or something like that."

"_Let me run a search_," Oracle said. "_There might be a connection_."

There was a pause, during which Superboy fidgeted uncomfortably. Given Green Lantern's expression, Black Arrow really couldn't blame him.

Flash was the one who broke the silence. "So. Faster than a speeding bullet and all that?"

"Yeah." Superboy was watching the speedster warily.

"Hm." Flash looked thoughtful. "I have to admit, I now find myself wondering which of us is faster."

"Oh, for..." Green Lantern grumbled under her breath. Black Arrow shot her a glare, but it seemed to have no effect. "What? Are you kidding? He destroyed I don't know how many universes on a rampage, and we're just standing around chatting with him?"

"Well, maybe he regrets it," Flash pointed out. "That was how many years ago?"

"Six," Superboy supplied. "And yeah, I do. I know what I did was wrong and I...look, I can't make it right. Not really. But I can do _something_. I'm not the same guy I was."

"Riiight."

"Lantern!" Black Arrow continued to glare at her. She glared right back.

"_Okay, kids, settle down_." Green Lantern was the first to break visual contact, turning her glare on a bare spot on the rooftop. Flash sighed. Oracle continued, "_I found the ship. It's the Intaha, and it's registered in Bangladesh, which is really odd because Intaha is an Arabic name. It means 'to end' or 'to finish'._"

"Nice," Black Arrow commented. "What is its cargo, and where is it now?"

"_Auto parts, supposedly, and it's taking them back to Bangladesh. I don't know its current location._"

"A full ship just for auto parts?" Flash grimaced. "I dunno. We should probably check it out."

"_I just said that I don't know its current location. Now if you want to go to Bangladesh and watch every port for a few days..._"

"That won't be necessary." There was a smile on Flash's face. "I think I know just the guy who can help us out."

* * *

Just above the surface of the moon, the fabric of space suddenly seemed to ripple. Then reality itself warped for a moment, and a tear opened up. Through it, white light was momentarily visible, but it was quicly blocked out by the figure that fell through as it closed again. In a matter of seconds, all was as it was before, save for the figure.

The figure stood. He was a tall man, apparently human, and he was swathed in a dark red cloak. Eyes that glowed with a low orange light swept across the landscape, and then moved up to take in the Earthrise. Unbreathing, and unaffected by the vacuum, he held up a hand and an orb of red light formed over it. It remained there a moment, and then suddenly took on a blue hue.

The man's eyes narrowed, and he smiled. At last. He was here.


	5. Chapter 5

Sand stuck to the Flash's boots as he trudged up the short beach to the opening set into the cliff face just beyond. It was low tide; otherwise, he might have had to swim inside. Ducking his head, he climbed into the damp opening. It went back only a short distance, and then turned up at an unnaturally sharp angle. Handholds were set into the wall, and he used them to pull himself up to the trap door. It was metal, and heavily reinforced. He could never have opened it on his own; not in so little space to build up momentum. Fortunately, he didn't have to.

He knocked four times, each rap evenly spaced. For a moment there was no reaction, and then he heard the scraping of metal against metal. Then the trap door lifted up to reveal a face looking down at him. Middle Eastern, male, and very much in need of a shave. As usual. He grinned.

"Hello, Jimmy." The other man looked down at him with a light smile.

"Aaron. Good to see you in one piece this time." Aaron wasn't his real name. The Flash didn't know his real name, but it didn't matter. He knew that he could trust this man, and that was enough. He was entitled to his secrets.

Aaron chuckled, and moved back to give the Flash room to climb into the room above. It was sparsely furnished; little more than a bolt hole that Aaron insisted on calling a home, temporary though he claimed it was. As he stood up straight again, the Flash pulled down his mask. Here, he really couldn't be anyone other than James Wong. Or Jimmy, as Aaron refused to call him anything but.

Aaron let the trap door fall back into place, and James grimaced at the echoing clang. Then the two moved to a group of cushions laid in the corner; waterproof, all of them. James settled himself on one of them while Aaron sat down across from him, crossing his legs and fixing his gaze on James. "So, Jimmy. What can I do for you?"

James tried to shift into a more comfortable position. "You know Amazon, right?"

"Right. She disappeared a few days back."

Aaron always knew what was going on in the world. "Well, I've been helping the Birds of Prey look for her, and we might have a lead."

Aaron listened quietly as James outlined the information they had put together. His expression did not change, but he nodded when James finished. "You would like my help finding this ship, correct?"

"Yes," James said.

Aaron nodded again. "Very well. I will get on it tonight. But no publicity."

"We're trying to keep the whole thing on the down-low," James assured him. "And thank you."

"What else are friends for?"

"Rescuing their friends from fishing nets?"

Aaron shook his head. "You are never going to let that go, are you?"

James grinned. "Nope."

* * *

"_Flare should be here, too_," Green Lantern grumbled. Oracle glared at the comm setup.

"She has to babysit. And he's on _our_ side. So chill."

She received a snort in response, and Oracle sighed, then glanced at her display. Nothing yet. The airwaves were quiet. So was the police radio, thankfully. Green Lantern, Black Arrow, and the Flash were all waiting at the New York harbor, and Superboy was with them-thus explaining Green Lantern's attitude. Oracle did have her doubts about him, but she was willing to give him a chance. Besides, he had seemed sincere when he claimed that the incident during the Blackest Night had got him to think seriously. He claimed not to know anything about the Titans thing. Given the situation and the fact that he _was_ helping them, she was willing to let that go for now. Black Arrow seemed to share a similar opinion though she was still reserved, and the Flash seemed to genuinely want to be nice. Green Lantern was the only one to be outright hostile, for some unexplained reason.

The video display lit up, and Green Lantern's voice came through again. "_Oracle, are you getting a visual?_"

Oracle looked at the screen. It showed a 3D representation of the four of them and the rooftop, transmitted from Lantern's ring. Superboy was the only one not in costume, still wearing his street clothes. "That's a yes. Nothing from Flash's friend yet, though."

"_I vote we call him Aquaman for now,_" Black Arrow suggested. "_Where'd you find him anyway, Flash?_"

"_Near Alaska. He might be willing to tell you the story._" Flash's tone carried a touch a amusement.

There was silence for a moment, and Oracle found herself tapping her desktop. On the video display, Green Lantern and the Flash shifted impatiently. Superboy's movement seemed more of discomfort than impatience. Black Arrow, perched on an air vent, was motionless.

There was a sudden buzz, and then another voice came through the comlink. "_Oracle, do you read me?_"

"Loud and clear," Oracle responded, and activated the full link.

"_Hey, it's Aquaman,_" came Black Arrow's voice.

"_I've found the ship. I'm transmitting the location now. Stand by._"

"Standing by. Hang on, folks; we're almost ready for action." Oracle accepted the incoming transmission, and then switched it to an outgoing signal. "Lantern, I'm sending the coordinates to your ring. You're headed for the southern Atlantic."

"_Transmission received. We're on our way._" On the video display, Green Lantern rose into the air, and the image rose with her. A flying carpet took form, and Black Arrow and Flash hopped on. Superboy took to the air. Though the group did not appear to move on the screen, the buildings around them fell away.

"_Aquaman, we're en route to your position_," Black Arrow announced.

"_I did not encourage her to call you that,_" the Flash added.

Flash's friend sounded mildly amused. "_I'm sure you didn't. But Fish-Man is off-limits._"

"_Rodger that, Aquaman_."

Oracle pulled up the sattelite data she had hacked into, and watched their progession. They moved quickly; much faster than any airplane. In moments, they approached the coordinates. On the video display, a ship took form and approached.

Green Lantern moved down toward the ocean surface, and a figure sprang out of the water and landed neatly on the flying carpet. He clasped hands with the Flash briefly, and nodded to the others. "_There are four guards on the deck. I do not know how many people are on the ship._"

"Superboy, could you have a look for the stasis pod?" Oracle tried to focus the sattelite on that location. "X-ray vision is less likely to be noticed than a ring scan."

"_Looking._" There was a pause, and then Superboy spoke again. "_I found it, on one of the lower decks. It's near the front-bow of the ship. There's some movement down there, too...is that a submarine?_"

"_Submarine? Bow of the ship? Let me have a look_." Aquaman-great, Black Arrow was rubbing off on her-dove off the construct carpet and disappeared underwater.

"_Lantern, can you drop us off on the deck?_" Black Arrow readied her bow. "_I'm sure Flash and I can infiltrate this thing safely. You two play lookout._"

"_Right._" Green Lantern sounded less than satisfied, but the flying carpet moved to the ship and disappeared. Black Arrow and the Flash dropped onto the deck, and both vanished from sight. Flash sped off too quickly to be seen, and Black Arrow melded right into the shadows. Green Lantern and Superboy both moved away from the ship and flew upward so there was less chance of their being seen.

For a while, the comm channels were silent. Then Black Arrow said in a low voice, "_These guys are well-equipped. And well-armed. I think we're on the right track._"

"Be careful, everyone," Oracle advised.

A few moments later, Aquaman spoke again. "_There appear to be some doors in the side of the ship, near the base. It might be an airlock, for a submarine._"

"_They've just loaded the stasis pod onto the submarine_," Superboy announced. "_A bunch of the guards just got on, too. I think they're getting ready to leave._"

"Have you been able to look inside the pod?" Oracle paused to hear his response.

"_No, I haven't. I think it might be lined with lead._"

"_Figures_," Green Lantern grumbled. "_Wait. Is that an alarm?_"

"_Dammit._" Flash sounded frustrated. "_We should hurry._"

"_The doors are opening_," Aquaman broke in. "_I think they're leaving._"

Something popped up on Oracle's screen. "Green Lantern, can you stop the doors?" She turned to get a closer look, and frowned. "Guys, something's headed your way."

"_Let me have a look_," Superboy offered. "_It's a man, coming fast. I don't recogni-_oomph!"

"_The hell was that?_" Black Arrow demanded.

"_Energy surge!_" Green Lantern shouted. "_Everyone brace your-_"

Sound cut out. Oracle pounded at her keyboard, trying to re-establish connection, but to no avail. The video display was blank, with no transmission from Green Lantern's ring. She checked the readouts from the sattelite, but it wasn't picking up anything.

Suddenly feeling very isolated, Amber sat back, staring at the screen blankly. The whole team had just vanished, at least from her systems. She could only pray that they were all right.


End file.
